Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year
Since 1990, the Perennial Plant Association has chosen a “perennial of the year”.
Perennials chosen are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free. In other words, great for low maintenance gardeners!
Drum roll please………. the 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year or PPY is…… a Stachys named ‘Hummelo’!
Hummel means bumblebee in German, so that should give you an indication of this plant’s attraction for our pollinator gardens.
‘Hummelo’ grows 18 to 24 inches tall in full to mostly sun. It blooms purple from early summer to late summer. Perennial Stachys performs like a Salvia, and deer will leave it alone. Deep green mounded is nearly evergreen foliage. 
It looks great with ornamental grasses, coneflowers and butterfly weed, the 2017 perennial of the year.
The wiry stems also make for a great cut flower. Hummelo prefers evenly moist but well-drained soil. Deadhead to keep plants attractive and to keep from going to seed which declines the foliage. Do not prune for winter. Clean up foliage in spring. Can be divided every 4-5 years in spring by removing rooted sections and transplanting. It’s hardy to zone 4.
Check out Walter’s Gardens for a list of all the winners since 1991! I think the 1993 winner is lovely! Veronica ‘Sunny Border Blue’
